Electrostatic micro-mirror arrays are becoming more attractive for use in optical communication networks. For example, they can be used in optical switching to actively route optical signals between input and output channels. The overall performance of the optical switch is determined, in part, by the performance of the micro-mirror arrays. At large deflection angles, an array mirror can be unstable, that is, the mirrors cannot be accurately maintained at the desired angle of deflection.
Mirror instabilities are typically reduced using a sensor based feedback system. For two-axis systems, substantial interactions between the rotation axes often occur. Consequently, when using a linear or quasi-linear control system, instabilities are apparent if the mirror is deflected through a large angle on each axis. Thus the mirror is restricted to applications requiring only a limited range of rotation. For systems utilizing such mirrors, other system design parameters can be adjusted to accommodate the limited range. Unfortunately, the result is often a larger package size or reduced system performance.